Dogs love to swim, you love your dogs.
Take them to some swell places in the Atlanta area where canines are welcome to get in the water.
Here are 7 places where you dog can swim, splash, wade or paddle:
Murphey Candler Park
1551 W Nancy Creek Drive, Brookhaven
Highly recommended in a Reddit thread about where pups could swim near Atlanta, Murphey Candler Park is in Brookhaven. The 2-mile trail circles the wooded wildlife area of the Murphy Candler Park perimeter. It's a great place for a brisk walk over mostly level ground capped with splashing on the lake shore or a quick swim (for Fido) in the northeast corner of the lake.
"Dog beach" at Morningside Nature Preserve Trail
1941 Wellbourne Drive NE, Atlanta
Part of the 2-mile trail runs along the wide, sandy banks of the South Fork of Peachtree Creek in Atlanta's upscale Morningside neighborhood. Locals call it "dog beach" and it's close enough to Midtown to indulge in several times a week.
Cochran Mill Park
$5 daily parking, 6875 Cochran Mill Road, Chattahoochee Hills
About 20 minutes from the Atlanta airport, the park is a great place for a half-day trip. It features several miles of trails that run through creeks and water crossings, shaded by natural forests. Some of the walk is steep hillside, so you and your pup both get a bit of a workout.
Credit: Bob Andres
Credit: Bob Andres
East Palisades Trail at the Chatthoochee River
Closest street address: 1425 Indian Trail NW, Sandy Springs
Part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area right in Atlanta, the 2.5 mile loop trail departs from the Indian Trail trailhead and descends to the river. Your pup can splash in the creek along the way or swim in the river, but make sure she's on a leash on the trails.
More things to do with your dog this weekend:
Buckhead: 3225 Cains Hill Place NW. 404-266-8668
Midtown: 441 Armour Drive NE. 678-974-8147
Westside: 1736 Defoor Place NW. 678-515-7873
For intown pet pampering, Dog Days Atlanta has swimming pools designed for dogs and equipped with a copper/silver ionizer to sanitize without chlorine. The club is only for current daycare or boarding customers, temperament tests required for all new campers. Dog Days day care starts at $30 for one day with multi-day discounts.
Atlanta Dog Paddle
610 Gresham Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA
2-7 p.m. Tuesday - Friday; 1-5 p.m. Saturday
In the case that you have a pup with aches and pains, the Atlanta Dog Paddle fitness center may be your go-to spot. The facility features an 8’ x 16’ fiberglass swim spa and is 4 ½ ‘ deep, providing plenty of room for non-weight bearing exercise and healing massage. The benefits of the pool time are increasing joint mobility and body promoting weight loss and weight control and easing stiffness, according to Dog Paddle’s website.
Credit: Pixabay
Credit: Pixabay
Red Top Mountain State Park
50 Lodge Road SE, Acworth. 770-975-4226
This is the water-loving dog's dream spot. Red Top Mountain State Park is 1,700-plus acres surrounded by thousands of acres of Lake Allatoona. Try it for a hike and if you like it, consider camping there for a water-dog weekend. You can bring a tent or rent a cabin or even a yurt.
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